Doctors write in The Times, 6 February 2020

more: Letters, Medical Opinion, Letters/Medical Opinion

6th February 2020

Dozens of doctors, many leaders in their respective fields, co-sign a letter to The Times expressing the hope that 'assisted dying will not become a medical intervention in the UK', published on the day the BMA's consultation on the matter commences.

Doctors write in The Times, 6 February 2020

ASSISTED SUICIDE

'Sir, Today the BMA launches a consultation surveying its members' views on physician-assisted dying. Challenging individual cases have prompted calls to change the law. However, the existing law ensures that doctors continue to uphold their duty of care, avoiding the inherent risks to sick and vulnerable patients that physician-assisted suicide would bring. The NHS is already overloaded, struggling to serve an expanding ageing population without adequate funding for palliative care.

'In other jurisdictions with legalised assisted dying, the picture is disturbing, and the World Medical Association recently reiterated its opposition to doctor-assisted dying. Canada's federal government has consulted on expanding assisted dying laws to the mentally ill, "mature minors" and individuals whose deaths are not imminent. Meanwhile, Canadian hospices are facing pressure to provide assisted death or risk losing their funding. We understand that the medical profession cannot and should not dictate the law but are concerned that the public's trust in doctors and medical institutions will lead our patients to equate assisted dying with good end-of-life care, as in Canada. We hope that the BMA will continue to oppose the involvement of doctors and that assisted dying will not become a medical intervention in the UK.'

Prof Bill Noble, Consultant in Palliative Care; Dr Jim Gilbert, Consultant in Palliative Medicine; Dr David Randall, Registrar in Renal Medicine; Dr Alexander Cary GP Trainee; Dr Dominic Whitehouse, Consultant Physician in Palliative and Respiratory Medicine; Prof Rob George, Medical Director and Consultant in Palliative Care; Dr Alison Brooks, GP; Dr Aoife Gleeson, Consultant in Palliative Medicine; Dr Robert Twycross, Emeritus Clinical Reader in Palliative Medicine; Prof David Oliver, Professor of Palliative Medicine; Prof Simon Noble, Professor of Palliative Medicine; Prof Irene Tuffrey-Wijne, Professor of Intellectual Disability and Palliative Care; Dr Amy Proffitt, Deputy Medical Director; Dr Mark Taubert, Consultant and Lead Clinician in Palliative Medicine; Dr Marina Malthouse, Consultant in Palliative Medicine; Dr Craig Gannon, Consultant in Palliative Medicine; Dr Rosemary Anthony-Pillai, Consultant in Palliative Medicine; Dr Kevin O'Kane, Consultant in Acute Internal Medicine; Dr Melody Redman, Junior Doctor in Paediatrics; Dr Fiona McCormick, Consultant in Palliative Medicine; Dr Simon Anderson, Consultant Gastroenterologist; Dr Angela Campbell, Consultant Geriatrician; Dr Luigi Camporata, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine; Dr Peter Diem, Consultant Geriatrician; Dr Terrence Gibson, Consultant in Acute Internal Medicine; Dr Philip Howard, Consultant Gastroenterologist; Dr Mustafa Kadam, Registrar in Acute Internal and Stroke Medicine; Dr Iain Kennedy, GP; Dr Taryn Pile, Consultant Nephrologist; Dr Sanna Khawaja, Registrar in internal Medicine; Dr Ranjababu Kulasegaram, Consultant in HIV Medicine; Dr Roshan Navin, Consultant in Acute Internal Medicine; Dr Aysha Nazir, Registrar in Emergency Medicine; Dr Laura O'Sullivan, Registrar in Acute Internal and Intensive Care; Dr Farica Patel, Registrar in Acute Internal Medicine; Dr Richard Rawlins, Retired Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon; Dr Shabaz Roshan, Consultant Geriatrician; Dr Nadia Short, Consultant in Acute Internal Medicine; Dr Fiona Stephen, Trainee in Emergency Medicine; Dr Duncan Brown, Medical Director and Consultant in Palliative Care; Dr Ollie Minton, Clinical Lead in Palliative Medicine; Dr Claud Regnard, Honorary Consultant in Palliative Care Medicine; Dr Chris Farnham, Consultant in Palliative Medicine; Baroness Sheila Hollins, Retired Consultant Psychiatrist; Dr Ellie Smith, Consultant in Palliative Medicine and Clinical Lead for Palliative Care; Dr Sarah Cox Consultant and Lead Clinician in Palliative Medicine; Dr Idris Baker, Consultant in Palliative Medicine; Dr Seamus Coyle, Community Consultant in Palliative Care; Dr David Brooks, Consultant in Palliative Medicine; Prof Scott Murray, Emeritus Professor of Primary Palliative Care; Dr Juliet Spiller, Consultant in Palliative Medicine; Prof Marie Fallon, Professor of Palliative Medicine

Published (£) 6 February 2020